South Korea and the US conclude Freedom Shield exercise

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the exercise simulated realistic threats, including the impact of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo also discussed with the commander of the US Combined Forces Command the impact of such cooperation on the security of the Korean Peninsula.

About 19,000 South Korean soldiers are deployed in the drill, which involves extensive training to enhance interoperability between the two countries.

In particular, field exercises such as building a pontoon bridge across the river at Yeoncheon – near the demilitarized zone with North Korea – have helped soldiers of the two countries improve the interaction between military technical equipment.

Korea and the US ended the exercise with a freestyle match in Figure 1 — Marines check equipment before a repulsor drill in Gimpo, Gyeonggi, during a joint exercise with the U.S. military on March 12. Photo: Republic of Korea Marine Corps

This year’s exercise is the first under US President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January. The US military has reaffirmed its security commitment to South Korea through a series of exercises on land, sea, air, cyberspace and space. The Republic of Korea Strategic Command and the Naval Special Warfare Command also participated in the joint exercise for the first time.

Throughout the exercise, North Korea has repeatedly denounced joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, calling them provocative. Pyongyang also fired several short-range ballistic missiles on the first day of the exercise, but did not conduct long-range missile tests like in previous years.

Freedom Shield is one of two major annual military exercises held by the US and South Korea, the other being Ulchi Freedom Shield in August. Both countries insist the exercises are purely defensive in nature and not aimed at any other country.

Ngoc Anh (according to Yonhap, Reuters)